POSTGAME UPDATE (10 p.m.)

Stensaas here, about to sign off for the night. If Russo’s flight is on schedule, he’s Calgary-bound at this moment. I’m not going nearly as far; just home to Apple Valley. But before I do, some closing remarks on tonight’s game:

- So far as we know, no one was injured. That’s a good thing. Even though the Wild is not playing very well, the last thing it needs is another boo-boo.

-I haven’t been to many games - compared to others - but the crowd really let the team have it tonight. Jacques after the game said the boos were “deserved.” I doubt many would beg to differ.

-Speaking of which, I would love - LOVE! - to tell you all exactly what Mikko Koivu said after the game. But even though this is a blog, I’m pretty sure printing such words is a biiiiiiiig no-no. I value my job, so you’re not going to find out. Let’s just say he was not happy with the team’s effort. Really not happy.

-I somehow have managed to take up four press box seats since 3pm with all my notes and other items (tape recorder, binoculars, media guides, cell phone …) scattered about. That means it is time to go.

NIGHT!

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Russo here, back up in the press box after watching the second period in the stands. Cal Clutterbuck just scored a breakaway goal. The place exploded because it just might have been the Wild’s first scoring chance of the game.

It was ugly downstairs. I tried to hide, but in the first 10 minutes, I was bombarded by disgruntled fans who wanted virtually everybody fired and/or traded.

Things only got uglier as there were boos and mock cheers, especially when Mikko Koivu took a harmless shot from inside the blue line late in the period. It was the Wild’s first shot in an eon.

One does have to wonder when/if there’s going to be some kind of shakeup from management. Nobody’s getting fired — after all, this is the Wild — but pressure is mounting because if you look at the schedule, there don’t seem to be a lot of wins there over the next few weeks (especially the way this team is playing).

Coming up @CGY, vs. SJ, vs. DET, @COL, @BOS, @PHI, @CBJ. It wouldn’t take much for the Wild to slip, slip, slip to the bottom. It entered the night five points from the last-place Blues.

I’m baaaack! Refreshed and energized (sorta) after my mini-vacation to the Blue Ridge Mountains in Northeast Georgia.

Cristobal Huet in net for the Hawks. Derek Boogaard is scratched for the Wild, meaning Benoit Pouliot back in.

Starting lines

Johnsson-Zidlicky

Pouliot(playing LW)-Belanger-Clutterbuck

vs.

Keith-Seabrook

Versteeg-Toews-Byfuglien

Line 2: Brunette-Koivu-Bouchard with Schultz and Burns, meaning Skoula and Reitz are paired.

Line 3: Veilleux-Sheppard-Miettinen

Line 4: Gillies-Kolanos-Weller

I’m hearing Martin Havlat may be traded any day. Pittsburgh and Boston especially kicking the tires. Adam Burish can’t come off IR until the Hawks dump some salary.

Fourth line just had some chances but no shots on goal came from it.

0-0 with 13:11 left in the first. Nik Backstrom looks to be combating the puck right now. Rebounds galore, picking up pucks late.

What did I tell you? 12:46 left, 1-0 Hawks. Dustin Byfuglien, Minnesota’s own, scores after Backstrom is unable to catch a Kris Versteeg bullet from outside the blue line. Mad scramble follows. After Toews couldn’t score on a bouncing puck, Byfuglien scores.

10th straight game a Wild opponent scores first.

Kim Johnsson going off for holding Patrick Kane with 11:53 left. Wild being outshot 10-2. Fourth best power play vs. best penalty kill. Byfuglien takes a deflected shot off the post, and with 10:22 left, it looks like the Minnesota guy redirects Duncan Keith’s shot for a 2-0 Hawks lead.

Ben Eager going off with 9:50 left for hooking Craig Weller. Fifth-best power play vs. fifth-best PK. Two shots, no goals, no flow despite most the power play spent in the Hawks’ end.

You’ve got to give the Wild credit. Most consistent team in the league. Never score in the first, always give up the first goal.

If Byfuglien gets his hat trick, it’ll be the eighth all-time against the Wild and second from a Minnesotan (Jason Blake, March 19, 2004).

Bouchard going off for high-sticking.

Wild booed off the ice. Down 2-0, outshot 15-4. Last play of the period was Kim Johnsson missing Pierre-Marc Bouchard on a breakout by 15 feet. Fitting conclusion to a shoddy period for the home team.

Live blogging may be terminated for a bit. Going into the stands to visit with some people.

This entry was posted on Sunday, December 28th, 2008 at 1:15 pm and is filed under Main. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.